Friction shock absorbing mechanism



Oct 31, 1933 s. B. HASELTINE FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 29. 1931 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Stacy B. Haseltine, Chicago, Ill., assignor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a. corporation of Delaware Application August 29, 1931. Serial No. 560,130

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in friction shock absorbing mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient, and compact friction shock absorbing unit of exceptionally high capacity, which is employed in connection with a pair of follower acting members that are relatively movable toward each other, the unit being particularly designed. for use in railway draft riggings and railway car trucks, and replacing the ordinary cushioning springs, thus giving increased capacity thereover, which is highly desirable in modern railway practice.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of a combined spring and friction shock absorbing mechanism in the form of a unit having a differential action, whereby the spring means is compressed to a lesser degree than the total compression of the mechanism, thus preventing excessive compression of the spring means, and wherein the differential action is produced by a pair of wedge elements at opposite ends of the mechanism.

together with a pair of link or yokelike side members having wedghig engagement with the wedge members and also having wedging engagement with a pair ofspring followers between which the spring resistance is interposed.

Other objects of the invention will more clear- 1y appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal, longitudinal sectional view through the underfrarne structure of a railway car, showing the railway draft rigging and illustrating a pair of my improved friction shock absorbing units in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a front elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of my improved shock absorbing unit at the left-hand end of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, also on an enlarged scale, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure i, said view being partly broken away. Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a yokelike side member employed in connection with my improved mechanism; And Figure 5 is a horizontal, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In said drawing, 10-19 indicate the usual channel-shaped center or draft sills of the railway car underframe structure, to the inner sides of which are secured tandem stop castings 11- 11 of well-known form. Each stop casing 11 has the usual front and rear main stop shoulders 12-12, a pair of middle main stop shoulders 13-13, and front and rear sets of intermediate limiting stop shoulders 14-14 and 14-14. The coupler of the railway draft rigging, the shank only of which is shown, is indicated by 15 and is connected to a vertical yoke 16 by means of a key 17. -The vertical yoke 16 is of the type usually employed inv connection with tandem spring gears and has a central filler member 18, which is rigid'with the top and bottom arms of the yoke 16. The yoke is slidably supported by the usual saddle plate 19, which is fixed to the bottom flanges of the sills 10-10. Two sets of front and rear followers 20-20 and 20-20 are disposed within the yoke, each set cooperating with one of my improved shock absorbing units.

Each of my improved shock absorbingunits comprises broadly a pair of wedge blocks A-A; two yokelike side members B-B; two 'wedgeacting spring followers C-C; a ,main spring resistance D;. and aretaining member E.

The two wedge blocks AA, which-are 'disposed. at the opposite ends of my improved friction shock absorbing unit, are of the same de- 9 sign. Each block has a flat outer end face 21, which bears on the corresponding main follower 20. At the inner end, each block is provided with a pair of inwardly converging fiat wedge faces 22-22 on opposite sides thereof.

The side members B-B are of a similar design and are disposed at opposite sides of the wedge blocks A-A. Each side member has interior wedge faces 23-23 at opposite ends thereof, which cooperate with thewedge faces 22-22 at the corresponding sides of the two wedge blocks A-A, Each side member'is cut away at the center, as indicated at 33, thereby providing a pair of outer wedgefaces 24-24, which are inclined inwardly toward the center of the mechanism and the longitudinal axis thereof.

The two spring followers C-C, which are lo cated at opposite ends of the unit, are of similar design, each comprising a sleevelike portion 25 having an annular spring abutment flange 26 at the outer end thereof. At the inner ends, the opposed side walls of each sleeve are provided with inwardly converging wall sections 27-27, which present interior wedge faces 28-28, which cooperate with the corresponding exterior wedge faces 24-24 of the two side members B-B.

The main spring resistance D is in the form of a' relatively heavy coil surrounding the sleevelike portions 25-25 of the two spring followers 0-0 and has its opposite ends bearing on the flanges 26--26 of said spring followers.

The mechanism is held of uniform overall length by the retaining and anchoring member E, which is in the form of a bar having heads at opposite ends thereof shouldered on the wedge blocks A-TA.

The parts of the mechanism are so proportioned that in the full release position thereof the wedge blocks A--A project outwardly beyond the spring followers CC, whereby the actuating force is at all times transmitted directly to the wedge blocks. The operation of my improved friction shock absorbing unit is as follows: During compression of the mechanism, the cooperating set of main followers 2020 will be moved relatively toward each other, thereby moving the wedge blocks AA toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism. Through the wedgingengagement of the wedge blocks A--A with the opposite ends of the side members 13-3, the latter are spread apart during relative approach of the'wedge blocks.- The lateral separation of the side members B-B thus effectively wedges the spring followers C.-.-C toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism, thereby compressing the spring resistance D. Thecompression of the mechanism continues until the inner ends of the wedge blocks A-QA engagewith each other, whereuponthe two wedge blocks act as a column load transmitting. member preventing further compression of the mechanism. In release, when the actuating force is reduced, the expansive action of the spring resistance D forcesthe-spring followers CC apart, thereby wedging the 'side' members B-B laterally inwardly toward each other. The lateral approach of the side members'BB squeezes the I wedge blocks AA outwardly. The outward movement of 'thewedge' blocks is limited by the anchoring and retaining member E, whereupon the parts will be in thenormal 1 position shown in Figure 1. a

As will be understood, each ofmy improved friction shock absorbing units shown in Fig ure 1 is compressed between the corresponding set of main followers 2020, the inner follower of said set being moved forwardly in draftwhile the outer follower is held by the corresponding stop lugs. During buff, the last named follower is forced rearwardly while the inner follower is held by the middle main and rear stop shoulders of the tandem side castings, The two friction shock absorbing mechanisms are thus actuated in tandem in'both but! and draft.

From the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, it will be evident that I have provided a highly efficient friction shock absorbing mechanism wherein the spring resistance is compressed to a lesser extent than the t t omp es on o the e ti e h ck absor s. n t, thereby preven in excessive compresn o th spr n thus pe m ttin hi in ti compression of the spring without .overstressing he fibe s of th metalthereof- This sul is broug t a out ypr vid ng the dif ren al i tion meanscomprisin the laterally -displaceab1e side m mbers whi h ve wed n n a m witlrboth the spring followers and the'pressuret ansmitt wed eblocks f th m chanism- I have herein shown and described what I now consider, the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same ismerely illustrative and I contemplate allchanges and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a pair of spring follower sleeves, each having opposed interior wedge faces, said spring follower sleeves being movable toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism; of spring resistance means opposing relative approach of said sleeves; side members disposed lengthwise of the mechanism and each having exterior and interior wedge faces at opposite ends thereof, the opposite ends of said sil members being telescoped within the sleeves and having the exterior wedge faces thereof in wedging engagement with the wedge faces of the cgrresponding sleeves; and wedge blocks at opposite ends of the 'mechanism, each having a pair of; wedge faces engaging between the side members at the corresponding end of the mechanism and cooperating with the inner wedge faces of said side members.

2. In a friction shocl absorbing mechanism,

the combination with a pair of wedge blocks movable toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism; of a pair of longitudinally arranged side members disposed at opposite sides of the wedge members and having wedging engagement with the same; a pair of spring followers at opposite ends of the mechanism surrounding said side members, each of said spring followers having opposed interior wedge faces rigid therewith having wedging engagement with the side members, said spring followers being movable toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism; and spring resistance means yieldingly opposing relative approach of said spring followers.

' 3. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a pair of wedge blocks at opposite ends of the mechanism, said blocks receiving the actuating force and being movable toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism during compression of the latter, each block having a pair of inwardly coverging wedge faces at the inner end thereof; of a pair of side members at opposite sides of said blocks, each side member having interior wedge faces at opposite ends thereof having wedging engagement respectively with the wedge faces at the corresponding sides of said wedge blocks, each of said side members also having exterior wedge faces at opposite ends thereof, the exterior wedge faces at the corresponding ends of said members diverging outwardly of the mechanism; a pair of spring follower sleeves telescoped over the opposite ends of said side members, said spring follower sleeves being movable toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism, each sleeve having a spring abutment flange at the outer end and opposed interior wedge faces atthe inner end, said interior wedge faces of said pair of follower sleeves having wedging engagement with the outer wedge faces of said side members; and spring resistance means surrounding said side members and spring follower sleeves and bearing at opposite ends on the spring abutment flanges of said sleeves.

4. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a pair of spring follower sleeves, each having opposed interior wedge faces, said spring follower sleeves being movable toward each other lengthwise of the mechanism; of spring resistance means opposing relative approach of said sleeves; side members havwedging engagement with the inner wedge faces of said side members, said wedge blocks normally projecting outwardly beyond the spring follower sleeves and being of such a length that the inner ends thereof abut when the mechanism is fully compressed, thereby providing a solid column load-transmitting member.

STACY B. HASELTINE. 

